A NEW code of practice has been introduced by the seed industry to minimise the risk of elevated erucic acid levels in certified double low oilseed rape seed.

It aims to ensure that certified seed will not be the source of any elevated erucic acid at harvest, which has been a problem in the past three years for this area of oilseed production.

The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) and the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) came up with the code of practice and as part of gaining its official registration in the UK, all varieties are tested to ensure erucic acid levels are consistently close to zero.

This aims to provide added certainty and will mean that all seed and seed lots of certified seed will be subject to scrutiny by gas chromatography prior to delivery to farm. The results of such testing will be available on request.

Whilst adoption of the new code is voluntary, both AIC and BSPB are encouraging members to participate to provide additional assurance to farmer customers and the wider oilseed chain.

“BSPB supports this Code of Practice as a way for plant breeders and the certified seed trade to demonstrate that we take the problem seriously, and are taking action to provide an assurance that certified seed is not the source of the problem," said Dr Penny Maplestone, BSPB’s chief executive.

"We would also encourage farmers to adopt the same practices if they are farm saving seed to ensure a common, industry-wide approach across all oilseed rape production.”

For the AIC, Chris Guest, chair of its combinable crops seeds committee, added: “The certified seeds industry takes every step to ensure farmers receive high quality seed. We have worked together on this Code of Practice to demonstrate to farmers that seed from a certified source is not the cause of the elevated erucic acid levels being found at harvest."